Undoing the Past
by Lady Lanera
Summary: After years of suffering from the mistakes of his dark past, Severus decides to throw a wrench into the system and make it better for all of them in the end. Timefic.
1. Come Undone

**Disclaimer:** All_ Harry Potter _characters in this fic are owned by J.K. Rowling.

**A/N:** Enjoy.

**Come Undone**

Situated near Manchester, the blue-collar town of Cokeworth had grown as dark as the river that ran through it. Unfortunately, with the closing of the mill nearly two decades ago, Cokeworth had fallen into a state of disarray, unable to bring itself back to its glory. Everywhere one looked, one would see the suffering and desperation. Fathers and mothers would go off to work long hours at one of the few places still there, only to find themselves at the end of the week still barely making ends meet. Unless one had turned to the illegal route that was, which was the case for so many families in Cokeworth. Crime paid was the old adage that all the inhabitants knew, no matter their age.

Rundown and abandoned brick houses lined the majority of the broken cobblestone streets, giving the area a sort of somber feel. Had one not known about the mill, one would swear that the town had been the sight of a devastating natural disaster or even been described as where a powerful bomb had gone off. Most of the houses had broken windows now, and some even had doors missing from where desperate people ransacked a neighbor's house.

Every street was the same. Filled with brick houses, all connected to each other. There were no yards. No white picket fences. Visually speaking, nothing about Cokeworth conveyed happiness. It only showed desperation and heartbreak. Something the town had in common with its people.

On the very end of one of these broken cobblestone streets—Spinner's End if one must know—resided a row house that was the only one that had a light on inside. A window was cracked open, but its curtains were of course closed to keep out prying neighbors.

Children ran past the row house, laughing as they played in the street under the street lamps that barely provided any light whatsoever. Several of them would pause every now and then to catch their breath and glance at this house to look at the light left on. However, they'd quickly turn away and run off. Their parents had warned them about that house. They all knew the tragic story of the grumpy man who resided there. About how he had lost his family. Not a single child could recall ever seeing the man, but they all knew enough not to venture near it ever. The man had a dark reputation. One boy stared at the light longer than his peers and watched it go out. He whispered a soft goodnight and returned home.

* * *

The following evening, the light turned on like clockwork at precisely eight o'clock as it had done for months now. A shadow passed the window curtain as a gaunt man headed towards a beautiful mahogany desk. His lifeless black eyes stared at the scattered papers he had written his notes on before he glanced at the opened journal that rested off to the side of his notes next to a framed Order of Merlin, first class. His long pale bony fingers soon trailed over the journal's elegant cursive in a loving tender way, a silver wedding band reflecting in the soft light.

"See you didn't eat again, Severus," grunted a blue-eyed man who had walked into the room.

"I'm busy," Severus offhandedly replied, sitting down at the desk.

"Ain't possible one's that busy, son."

"I am." Severus grabbed a quill and dipped it into the inkwell then. He quickly continued to write his notes soon after, his eyes glancing to read the elegant cursive from the journal now and then.

"Yer mum's been asking about you. She's worried."

"Mother's always worried." His quill continued to scratch against the parchment.

"That may be, but she ain't the only one." His father sighed softly. "Shit, son, you can't just stop living yer life now." His father's blue eyes softened slightly when he noticed Severus pause in his writing for half a second. "She wouldn't want you to live like this, and you know it." The tip of the quill suddenly broke from the force Severus had pressed down with onto the parchment.

"Don't," he croaked, drawing in a shaky breath. With a wave of his wand after moments of silence, the quill's tip was once again sharp, and Severus continued writing the rest of his notes.

"You know I'm right, son," his father quietly said a few minutes later.

"It's not about whether you're right or not, Dad."

"Then, what's it about?"

Severus paused once more before he glanced up at his dad, his quill lowering. A part of him wanted to continue to finish her work as he had been doing the past year. Another part knew he had to tell his dad, just so the man would understand. He gently picked the journal up and held it out.

"This was hers, Dad. Every night she would work on her theory. Sit at this very table until she'd later join me. She worked on this every single night. No matter if she was sick, injured, or otherwise occupied. She never deviated from that pattern. Never took a night off. Not even the night of the Final Battle. She'd tell me every now and then about what she was researching. Let me in on any breakthroughs she had."

"And you kept it going, working on it for her after her . . ." his father's voice trailed off.

"Yes." Severus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She was close."

"You understand that mumbo jumbo stuff she's got in there that well?"

"Not all of it, but most. She talked me through some of this, and the rest her notes helped with." His eyes darted down to the journal. He stared at it for minutes before he drew in a slow breath. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"From what I can tell, her theory's correct. It's possible." He watched his dad's blue eyes narrow even further on him. "Her formula works. I just, I, I'm making sure there are no errors, nothing she didn't take into account."

"And?"

"I've found nothing thus far to dispute her theory." He then sighed again. "Only problem is that it's proven by using a series of hypothetical scenarios."

"What are you saying, son?"

"The only way to know for absolute certainty that she was correct is to use a real scenario."

"You got to be joking."

"I'm not. It's the only way to have a hundred percent certainty of her theory." Severus glanced at his dad and sighed. He knew the older man had no idea what her theory concerned, and Severus had no intention of informing him either. He would not be prevented or swayed from this action.

"Then what, son? What comes after you prove it?"

"Then, I can move on, Dad. This was her life's work, her passion. I just want to prove it for her." He remained neutral under his father's searching gaze. This had to work. There was no other option. He knew instantly at the sound of his dad's sigh that he had just gotten one step closer to his goal.

"All right then. Count me in. What do you need?"

* * *

After another month of planning with his father—the older man still not having been fully informed about what the theory concerned, the day was finally upon Severus. He rose early that morning and dressed in his best robes. His stomach felt like it was doing flips currently, but he did his best to ignore it. Nothing would stop him. Not this time.

For the first time in nearly a year, Severus's black eyes showed signs of life. He drew in a slow breath and smiled openly since it was just him in his bedroom. He glanced at a framed photo sitting on his nightstand and pressed a kiss against his forefingers before he touched the glass directly atop of a laughing woman.

"It'll be better this time. For all of us. I give you my word," he said aloud, his eyes hovering on the photo for a moment as his thumb rubbed the underside of a tarnished silver ring. Severus then turned away and walked out of his bedroom. His mind ran through the plan once more, making certain that he had left no possible scenario or variable out that would prevent his success. He found nothing several minutes later. It had all been taken into account. He was ready. More than ready, in fact.

He walked into the neglected sitting room and gave a curt nod to his father who stood in the middle of the room. His father wore a look of apprehension mixed with bewilderment, likely because he knew that Severus wasn't telling him the full story.

"You certainly got all cleaned up for this, didn't you?" his father remarked quietly.

"One must always look his best when he's heading to a place of authority. You taught me that."

"Yeah." His father frowned, rubbing his chin. "You know if this doesn't work, though—"

"It will."

"But if it doesn't—"

"It will. Please. Trust me. It'll work." Severus scolded himself silently as he heard his heart pound against his ribcage in nervousness. Why had his father said that and provided that seed of doubt? He shook his head a moment later. If it didn't work, then they'd be in Azkaban for a very long time. He had been forced to tell his father that since it was rather hard to keep that quaint consequence from the older man, seeing as how his dad was a wizard like him—a little unknown fact in the Wizarding World.

"You got everything?"

"Yes." He had his wand (his true one that was) tucked up into his sleeve, the black journal in his breast pocket above his heart, and the vial with the required potion in his left pocket of his frockcoat.

"All right. Let's go then."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," Severus softly said.

"Don't thank me yet, son. We ain't exactly proven it quite yet."

Severus snorted.

"Maybe not, but I'm glad you're here, Dad." He caught his father's brows furrow slightly before the man gave a jerky nod. Both men were famous for their avoidance of certain emotional moments. It was something that Severus's mother commented on quite frequently. Though, it wasn't like she was one to talk after all.

"Let's quit lollygagging around here. Ain't exactly got all day, you know?"

Severus gave a short laugh.

"Indeed." They Disapparated a moment later with two identical soft cracks.

When the men reappeared, they were standing in the atrium to the Ministry of Magic. They quickly headed for the lift and got on, riding it down to the Department of Mysteries level. Full of purpose, they continued once the lift stopped and headed down the long corridor. Severus tensed instantly when he noticed a familiar green-eyed man, whom Severus hadn't seen since the victory feast years ago, approaching. _Harry._

"Professor Snape. I didn't know you were here today. Something I can help you with?" the man asked politely, his eyes darting hesitantly over to Severus's dad.

"No, Potter. I have it all well in hand," Severus replied, easily brushing past Harry.

"Um, well, may I ask where you're going? This level isn't exactly open to visitors, you know?"

Severus stopped for half a moment. Even with his back turned to Harry, he could read the younger wizard like an opened book. He could hear the wheels turning in the Gryffindor's mind about how to remain respectful yet still remain in control of the situation. He slowly turned around and caught Harry's eyes.

"You owe me numerous favors, Mr. Potter," Severus answered dryly with a shrug. "So, I've come to collect them in full today." He caught Harry's surprise instantly.

"Uh, sir?"

"I'm under the impression that the Veil is down here. I'd like to spend a few moments alone with it. Privately, Potter."

"Sir," Harry started to say.

"I risked my life for you, Potter. Many times over the years. I nearly died because of you in the Shrieking Shack, alone. You remember that, don't you, Mr. Potter?" He watched Harry blanch instantly. He then put the final nail in the coffin and spoke the following three words in his usual slow blunt way. "You owe me."

Harry's shoulders sagged in resigning defeat. "Follow me, sir." He slowly walked past Severus and headed further down the long hallway with various opened doors on either side of it.

Severus smirked inwardly when they passed by one of the doors. He could see the rows of shelves inside the room and stopped a moment later. He caught Harry stopping as well and turning around with a confused look on his face.

"Professor?"

"I see the Ministry has finally come back from losing its entire stock of Time Turners because of you," he remarked quietly, motioning towards the room.

"Yeah." Harry guiltily glanced down at his Ministry-issued boots. "Took years to make new ones. Guess it's not as easy as just putting the sand back in them. They say they're about at the level they were before they got destroyed."

Severus nodded slowly. "I see. How good for you that they were able to recover from it." He continued walking forward a moment later to follow Harry again. They stopped in front of the Death room not long after, Harry motioning the wizards inside.

Severus heard the whispers from the Veil instantly. He couldn't differentiate the voices, but every now and then he'd hear his name murmured. He closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath to empty his mind. He turned away a moment later.

"Where's the loo, Potter?" Severus snapped suddenly.

"Down the hall to the right. Are you all right, Professor?"

Glancing at his dad, Severus waved his hand at him to give his dad the sign as he stalked past. He heard his dad suddenly clear his throat, knowing that Tobias would soon distract Harry for him while he headed to the desired room. He smirked inwardly as he walked out into the corridor. He was so close that he could feel it now.

Passing the door to the loo, Severus slipped inside the Time room a moment later. He quietly closed the door behind him and walked further into the room. He passed the majority of the items without as much as a glance at them. He smiled when he stopped in front of the shelves of Time Turners next to the bell jar. He pulled his ebony wand out of his sleeve and chuckled quietly before he made a quick jerk of his hand. With his nonverbal _Confringo,_ his dark eyes watched all the Time Turners suddenly explode violently, the magical sand spraying all around him. He removed the vial from his pocket then, pouring the potion around him in a circle on top of the sand.

The door burst open suddenly, revealing Harry and Tobias. Severus slowly turned around. He caught Harry's wide eyes before the young man glanced at Severus's father.

"What are you two doing? Are you insane?" Harry shouted, drawing his wand.

Severus merely chuckled, biding his time as the potion soaked into the sand. "As I said, Mr. Potter, you owe me." He smirked as the green-eyed man approached. He then glanced at his father, their eyes meeting. _I love you, Dad,_ he thought silently before he glanced away. With a turn of his wrist, he activated the necessary reaction for his potion and the magical sand.

"Happy fixing, son," Tobias called out over the sudden wind that had appeared.

Severus's eyes instantly darted to his father. His dad knew this whole time? He opened his mouth to speak, but the spell took over that exact second. He felt the tingling of magic throughout his body before everything around him just vanished.

"_Don't cry, love,"_ whispered a familiar female voice in the darkness. A memory. _"It's all right."_

Another voice then spoke coldly. _"I regret it."_ Another memory—Voldemort speaking this time.

"_A fragment of Voldemort's soul was blasted apart from the whole and latched itself onto the only living soul left in that collapsing building,"_ Dumbledore added, his voice swirling in the darkness.

"_Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers'—er—backgrounds." _Umbridge, Severus recognized immediately. He could identify that annoying voice anywhere.

"_From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"_ cried Fudge, the pompous arse former Minister of Magic.

"_Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"_ The wolf, Lupin.

"_This is the end of Hogwarts."_ McGonagall's voice drifted in.

"_Snape was trying to save me?"_ Harry's voice, so young and innocent still.

"_I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way. I've chosen mine."_ Lily. His heart ached slightly as her voice swirled around in the darkness.

"_Son?"_ Severus's dad's voice then entered the mix. Yet another one of his memories, an older one. _"Hey, it's okay, lad. It ain't the end. Just the beginning, you know?"_

"_Listen to Mummy, my sweet little boy."_ His mother. _"We are always given a choice, Severus. It's what we do with them that matter, though."_

Severus thought hard on his choice as the voices slowly went silent. Every bit of determination and focus was behind him. He drew in slow breaths before he felt a light on his face. His eyes gradually opened to find himself in the Time room still, devoid of the previous destruction however. He looked around and noticed that there was no sand around him to leave behind evidence of his action. Good. His theory was correct there. The potion and sand had burned off during the transport.

"_Tempus_," he whispered, his nerves on edge. The date of October 30, 1981 hovered in the air in front of him with the time being a minute to midnight. There wasn't time to reflect on what that meant. He needed to move if he was to be successful. With a sudden turn, Severus Disapparated from the Time Room at the Ministry. He reappeared a moment later in Godric's Hollow, specifically the nursery in the Potters' residence directly behind one of the world's darkest wizards.

Mere milliseconds after Severus's arrival, Voldemort snarled coldly, "_Avada Kedavra_!" with his wand pointed at the small baby in the crib. The green jet of light flew from his wand towards the young curious child. Bouncing off the baby boy soon after, the curse headed back to Voldemort before the Killing Curse surrounded the dark wizard. A large boom erupted and violently shook the entire house.

As a result, Severus grabbed the wall to keep himself upright. However, at the sight of something flying from Voldemort, Severus quickly threw his hand out and silently summoned the young boy from the crib. With his arms wrapped tightly around the child, he Disapparated them away. Voldemort's soul would not latch onto the boy this time. There would be no seventh Horcrux.

Reappearing outside the small cottage a moment later, Severus watched a section of the roof explode, a black cloud shooting out of it before disappearing into the night sky. Voldemort was no more. Severus couldn't leave yet, though. He Disapparated back into the nursery with the now crying boy. He kept his eyes focused on the crib and avoided glancing where he knew Lily's lifeless body rested on the floor. He could not save her or James. Their fates were fixed in the timeline unfortunately.

"Hush, Potter," Severus ordered, his eyes never moving from the crib. "Or we won't get that happy ending we deserve." He frowned as an idea came to him. Knowing that Dumbledore would arrive soon to find Lily and James dead, Severus knew he had mere moments left now.

There could be no Harry Potter in this timeline. No Boy-Who-Lived. No Savior of the Wizarding World. No child who would be thrust into an adult world that was full of darkness and required to make the ultimate sacrifice for the Greater Good. No. No. Harry Potter _must die_ in this timeline with his parents. The world would have to create its own idea of how Voldemort was vanquished. Like Severus, this time Harry was not bound to serve others. They would live for themselves for once.

"I apologize for this," he whispered, rubbing the child's back as he held the crying boy against him. "But the world must believe it." He then raised his wand to the boy, resulting in a flash of light.


	2. Nobody Wants to Pay the Asking Price

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the follows and favorites. I appreciate it tremendously. Without further ado, enjoy.

**Nobody Wants to Pay the Asking Price**

Hundreds of miles away, a young man in his early twenties rolled over in his warm bed with a loud groan. His black eyes darted to the window across from him to watch the green-reflected light dance around his room. The moonlight filtered through Black Lake's murky water. He sighed heavily and flopped over, grabbing his wand from the nightstand and revealing a black tattoo on his left forearm.

"_Tempus_," mumbled the young man, flicking his wand before running a hand through his long black hair. He groaned at the sight of the floating time. It was 12:15 on October 31. For some reason, he just couldn't get to sleep this night. "Wonderful," he sneered before he tossed the covers off and got up out of bed a moment later. He supposed he should at least be somewhat productive then.

Stumbling in a gray nightshirt, the young man headed towards his kitchenette. He needed a glass of water before he brewed the rest of the night. Yawning, he stretched his arms to the ceiling as he walked. He had just reached his counter and grabbed his cup when he heard a noise behind him. His wand slipped into his hand again before he whirled around.

"Who's there?" he shouted, his wand darting about the darkness.

"You in nineteen years," a voice identical to his replied dryly.

"What?" The young man flicked his wand, lighting the torches around the room. He took a step back when he saw a man who looked like him, only older. "Impossible."

"Not when you have a room full of Time Turners and an understanding of time's principles."

He blinked. "But I don't."

"Not yet. You will, though."

The young man's black eyes narrowed suspiciously onto his older version. The older man clearly had a difficult life, which considering the young man's own life he supposed wasn't too hard to believe. He frowned, crossing his arms as he watched the other man.

"It's a good story, but lies are always easier for one to believe than the truth."

His supposedly future self chuckled. "Then, how about I give you definitive proof? Dumbledore will Firecall you in a few moments. He'll ask you to step through, and he'll inform you that Voldemort murdered Lily, James, and Harry Potter tonight before he was defeated. He'll tell you that Lily and James placed their trust in the wrong person much like how you did. He'll then ask you to continue being a spy for him because he doesn't believe that Voldemort is truly gone."

Snape's wand trembled in his hand as he stared at his future self. "L-Lily's dead?"

"Yes."

"No, no, th-that can't be possible." He took a step back, feeling his heart clench painfully.

"Why? Because you begged Voldemort to spare her for you, telling him you didn't give a damn about her husband and child?"

"How do you know that?" Snape thrust his wand more towards the other man. "Answer me!"

"Because I'm you, nineteen years from now."

The words were out before he could stop himself. "Then why didn't you save her?!"

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"Their deaths are fixed. They can't be saved. Voldemort will always go after them."

"Not if I hadn't given him the prophecy!" he argued.

"If you hadn't given him the prophecy, there are two ways it'd have gone. Either he'd have learned the prophecy through Rosier, who was also there that night, or he'd have continued his fight until everyone had submitted to his ways. We both know Lily never would have submitted."

"So then, what? We do nothing?"

"We can't save her."

"We could have tried!"

"No." His older version sighed heavily, clearly weary as if he had battled with the same hopes himself before. "When Dumbledore dismisses you, ask him for the letter Lily wrote you."

"What letter?"

"The letter that Dumbledore will have taken from Godric's Hollow tonight and tucked away into his right hand drawer." His older self looked away with a sigh. "Dumbledore will manipulate you and ask you to remain his. He will keep that letter hidden because when you read it you will be able to move on from Lily, and he can't have that."

"Move on?" Snape repeated softly, staring at his future version. None of this made any sense.

"She won't be so strong in your mind after you read it. So perfect to you. You'll be able to let her go finally."

"Impossible. I love her," he argued fiercely. No. There was no way he'd move on from her now.

"Not in the way you think," his future self replied quietly.

"What do you mean by that?" he sneered, resisting the urge to hex the other man. It was all lies.

Before his future self could reply, however, his Floo roared to life. His eyes darted to it and waited for a moment as the face emerged. Was it possible that—?

"Severus?" Dumbledore's voice floated from the fireplace.

"Yes, Headmaster?" the younger Snape replied dutifully, glancing towards the flames.

"Step through please. We must talk," Dumbledore stated.

His eyes darted to his future self who stood off to the side. So far it was _exactly_ what the man had said would happen. The younger Snape closed his eyes before he headed to the fireplace. He stepped through a moment later and sighed when he reappeared in the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, Severus, thank you." Dumbledore sighed, glancing at him somberly. There was no twinkle in his blue eyes. "I'm afraid I have difficult news for you."

"Headmaster?" His insides clenched. He sat down when Dumbledore motioned to the chair.

"Not long ago, I received word that Lord Voldemort had discovered the Potters' location. Tonight he broke through the various protections placed on it. I'm afraid they're all dead. Even the boy. However, I've been informed that their deaths somehow aided in Voldemort's defeat tonight."

Snape's stomach dropped. No. No. It couldn't be true. No. Lily, his lovely Lily. Gone? But—no. He truly didn't want to believe his future self, but everything the man had said was happening thus far. He howled in heart wrenching pain. The fool with his heart on his sleeve. Not his beautiful Lily.

"I thought . . . you were going . . . to keep her . . . safe . . ."

A hand rested on Snape's shoulder. "She and James put their faith in the wrong person."

It felt like a sudden slap to his face. That was the same thing his future self had said.

"Rather like you, Severus. Weren't you hoping that Lord Voldemort would spare her?"

Snape's breathing was shallow. He stared at Dumbledore, unmoving. The events were matching up exactly. He couldn't deny it any longer. He couldn't brush off the man's words as he had. It was true. He _had_ gone back in time.

"I wish . . . I wish I _were_ dead," he cried before he buried his face into his hands.

"And what use would that be to anyone?" said Dumbledore coldly. "If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."

His head jerked up before he stared at Dumbledore, recognizing the ploy of manipulation immediately. Dumbledore truly didn't give a damn about him. About anyone he'd imagine. He just wanted to use Snape for his own gain. Again. He forced himself not to exhibit his underlying rage at the man. Like hell would he be used like a pawn again!

"What do you mean?"

"You know how and why she died. Make sure it was not in vain."

"The Dark Lord has gone—"

"The Dark Lord will return, and we will all be in terrible danger when he does."

He bit his cheek to keep from hissing, 'And I should care about that why?' Instead, he drew in a slow breath to calm himself. There was one last thing that needed to be confirmed. One last thing he needed to know. He exhaled and spoke.

"I would like the letter Lily wrote me." He caught Dumbledore's surprise instantly. Perhaps on second thought that was stupid to demand right then. Dumbledore had made no mention of it. "I was waiting for her reply," he smoothly lied. "I know she wrote it." He held his hand out to him. "The letter, please." He watched Dumbledore frown before the older wizard opened his right hand drawer and pulled an envelope out. When it was in his hands, his fingers slowly curled around it a moment later. The proverbial nail was now in the coffin.

"Severus?" Dumbledore quietly said, staring at him curiously.

"What?"

"The Dark Lord will return. Do not let her death be made in vain. Join me again. Help me end this threat once and for all."

Snape blinked and coolly looked at Dumbledore with a neutral expression. Be a spy for him again? It was absurd. His mind, however, returned to his future self. The man had told him that Dumbledore would manipulate him, so technically Snape had the upper hand now with that knowledge. He would still need Dumbledore's protection unfortunately. No doubt, the Ministry would soon round up all the remaining Death Eaters and arrest them. He had no intention of being in Azkaban ever, of course. So that led him back to Dumbledore and the choice before him.

"Very well." Snape inclined his head in acceptance of Dumbledore's request.

"Excellent." Dumbledore then sighed heavily as he glanced down at his desk to gather his thoughts. "You will always have a home here at Hogwarts, Severus. I do hope you know that."

"Of course, Headmaster," he replied quietly. "If you'll excuse me, though?" He swallowed when his mind returned to Dumbledore's earlier words.

"Of course. Of course, my boy. Take all the time you need."

How truly remarkable was the difference in Dumbledore now that Snape had reaffirmed his loyalty to the older wizard. Before the man treated him coldly, as if Snape was nothing. Now, it was all lemon drops and kindness. How pathetic.

He turned away a second later, silently walking to the Floo and returning to his rooms. He closed his Floo behind him and activated his privacy wards. At the sight of his future self sitting on the sofa with a small boy in his arms now, he frowned. Was that his son he would have in the future? They did seem awfully close to one another in his opinion.

"You were right about everything," Snape told his future self.

"Obviously."

"I gave my word to Dumbledore that I would remain loyal. Was I correct to do that?"

"Yes."

Snape nodded slowly. Hearing that gave him a bit of peace for now. "Where do we go from here? I mean, you still haven't revealed why you've returned. It wasn't to save Lily and her family obviously." He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but he heard it anyway.

"Actually, that's where you're mistaken." His future self smirked inwardly, clearly happy with himself for some reason.

"I am?"

"You are. It's not truly your fault, however. Dumbledore reached the natural conclusion based on the evidence he found tonight in the nursery. It is a lie, though. Lily's son did not die."

Snape's eyes widened before they darted to the small boy in his older self's arms. "Y-you kidnapped the boy and faked his death?"

"Yes."

"I—what—why?"

"Dumbledore would have given this child to Petunia to raise. You remember her, of course?"

"Lily's bitch sister?" He caught his older self's chuckle instantly.

"Indeed. The very one." The man then sighed, adopting his familiar neutral face. "She and her idiot husband would have abused him. Treated him worse than a house elf if we're honest. For the first ten years of his life, the boy would live in the cupboard under the stairs. He'd not be fed or clothed properly. In fact, he'd be forced to wear his fat cousin's castoffs and resort to stealing food just so he'd not starve to death, while his cousin was spoiled rotten."

"Was Dumbledore aware of this?" The twenty-one-year-old couldn't for the life of him think that it'd be possible. This was Lily's son. It sounded unreal to him.

"Yes." His older self pinched his mouth tightly together for a moment before he continued. "The boy's wellbeing was never Dumbledore's concern in my timeline. He would have asked you to protect the child because he has his mother's eyes. And before Albus's would-be death years from now, he would have revealed to you that he knew all along that the boy must die in the end to achieve victory once and for all over Voldemort. He would have betrayed you. He would have told you that you were protecting the child all those years so that the boy would die at precisely the right moment."

Snape could feel his blood boil. That bastard! This was a child for Merlin's sake, not some pawn. He couldn't believe it. A part of the younger Snape wanted to march back to the Headmaster's office and murder the man with his bare hands.

"He would have raised this child as a pig for slaughter, had I not interfered."

Snape nodded slowly. "So, you returned for the boy then." He supposed he could see that.

"And for us." His future self sighed softly. "As I'm certain you can imagine, Dumbledore will have used Lily's power over you every chance he could get in order to achieve his goal. I spied for him for many years. I watched a colleague be murdered in front of me, unable to stop it. I witnessed students be tortured for sport, unable to help them. I saw families in pain as they were ripped apart." He frowned and silently readjusted the small boy on his lap. "Near the end, I found myself confronting my own mortality once and realizing that I wasn't as infallible as I thought. You see, Voldemort ordered Nagini to kill me because he believed I had something of power that he wanted for himself. He was mistaken, of course, but that doesn't matter. I found myself dying alone on the floor of the Shrieking Shack."

Snape's eyebrows knit together as he listened. He didn't bother to interrupt his future self. He knew himself well enough to know that the man would reveal all in time. So he waited.

"It was in that moment I realized that I had wasted my second chance. I had lived my life solely for Lily, not myself. My actions over the years, protecting this child from harm, weren't heroic. They were cowardly and self-centered. I had truly believed that by keeping her child safe and alive that I would then be reunited with her in the afterlife and have my happy ending. That it would be all worth it in the end, my suffering as I paid the asking price. It was a lie, though. A lie that Dumbledore perpetuated for his own gain for decades."

"So, why are you here then?" The younger Snape felt a chill sweep over him when he caught his eyes stare back at him with a determined look.

"To throw a wrench into the proverbial system and end it once and for all."


	3. Secrets I Keep

**A/N:** Ask and you shall receive. Enjoy, my dears.

**Secrets I Keep**

Severus caught his younger self's surprise and chuckled. He could understand his reaction. It was rather dramatic after all. But it was entirely true. He was throwing the largest wrench he had to end it all.

"You can't just start changing everyone's lives," his younger self squawked in outrage.

"I'm not changing _everyone's_ lives," Severus countered slowly. "Only the boy's and your lives." He watched his younger self scratch his head then and stare back in confusion.

"I—" The young man sighed. "This is madness. Utter insanity." He clearly was struggling for words as he stared back at Severus. "I don't understand. There are laws. Laws of physics that prevent this from occurring. Hell, laws enforced by the Ministry itself to ensure one can't return. How is this possible? It doesn't make a bit of sense." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm going mad. That's the only explanation there is. I've lost all sanity. Or perhaps all this is a dream. A delusion brought on by a high fever. Something." His younger self swallowed a moment later. "Anything but this."

"You may tell yourself whatever you need to in order to come to terms with all this, but the fact remains that I'm here, as is this boy," Severus replied quietly. He could understand why his younger self would be so unsettled. The supreme law of time travel that was always warned about was this exact situation, a person from the future meeting his past self. It would cause all sorts of paradoxes, infinite possibilities and endless changes to the timeline. An alternate universe in other words. Not to mention the risk of insanity if his younger self couldn't find a way to come to terms with his future self's presence. However, this was the only way to ensure a different timeline than the one he had come from. The only way to give them a fighting chance for success. "In this timeline, the boy will not be raised as a pig for slaughter," he stated strongly. "Nor will he be forced to endure the hell that would have been his childhood with the Dursleys. With this action, I've given us a chance for success now."

"Oh." His younger self then swallowed and glanced warily at the young boy who watched him curiously. "So you're here to tell me that Dumbledore is a manipulative bastard that would have gotten many of us killed and used me, but that Lily's son is alive. Okay. Um, thanks. I guess."

Severus chuckled loudly, rubbing young Harry's back soothingly when the toddler started to fuss once more. Had he truly been so foolish in his twenties? It would definitely seem so. Then again, he supposed it could have been a result of pure shock from meeting his future self. There was no need to count that possibility out. After all, Severus didn't have all the necessary understanding of time's principles quite yet. It was still a work in progress, he liked to think. There was after all only so much her journal could help him with.

"Hardly," Severus drawled with a shake of his head. "The boy will need someone to care for him." At the sight of alarm in his younger self's eyes, he found it oddly amusing to watch himself panic.

"What?" the younger Snape cried in sheer terror. He held his hands up and slowly backed away, as if the toddler was a weapon of some kind. "No. No. I can't raise a child. I-I-I've never even been with a woman much less been around a child. No. Absolutely not. I can't—not a brat. I—why can't you raise him? You changed his life! Not me! I was happily sleeping or something . . . no . . . no. Absolutely not! Not doing it. No."

Severus's laughs deepened as he shook his head. He could now understand why she—his smile faltered suddenly. The color drained from his face. He closed his eyes and blinked back the tears that were sure to appear as his heart physically ached at recalling his wife. It was still too painful for him. A year after her death, he still couldn't find it in himself to let go of his pain. But then again, she was the main driving force behind all this. The main reason he had decided to risk it all. It was all to give the poor souls who suffered so much in his timeline a chance. Not to mention, that one chance to have the life he had yearned so long for that he'd had a taste of briefly before it was once again ripped from him.

"I can't just appear one day with the brat," his younger self stated, still clearly apprehensive about the prospect of raising a child. "They'll know something's going on then."

"I'm aware," Severus coolly replied a few moments later, latching onto the distraction for all he had in order to escape the heartbreak that gripped him emotionally inside. "However, I wasn't suggesting you walk out of here tomorrow with him on your hip."

"Then what are you suggesting?"

"Request a sabbatical for the rest of the year tomorrow. It is after all only natural that you would do so after losing a woman you love so fiercely. He will have expected it."

"A sabbatical? But I—"

"Oh, please," Severus snorted. "We both know that you hate teaching. It's the perfect excuse."

His younger self watched him nervously. The young man clearly hadn't fully come to terms with all this time travel quite yet, but Severus could see the earlier mistrust slowly starting to fade from his younger self's eyes.

"Is it what you did?"

"No." Severus sighed heavily. "I was forced to take a two-month break, however." In fact, a day after learning of Lily's death in his timeline, he had lost his temper and scared his fifth-year students to death. Naturally, the moment Dumbledore heard of the incident from the students' parents, he forced Severus to take an unpaid leave of absence. That had been a rough two months for him, he recalled.

"Oh."

"Indeed." Severus glanced down at the little boy on his lap and smoothed little Harry's raven hair affectionately. It was odd to think how much he had grown to care for the boy over the years.

"Are you sure you don't want him?" his younger self asked. "I mean, you're pretty good with him, and I'll—"

"You'll learn," Severus stated firmly, glancing at his younger self. "Like you, I have no experience raising toddlers either." He heard his younger self let out a sigh of relief and glanced sharply at him. "What?"

"Well, for a minute there, I thought I had a litter of children in the future like the Weasleys."

Severus snorted. "Hardly."

"Good. Because women are messy and complicated, and I've had a lifetime of that."

The pained look flashed in his eyes instantly before he subconsciously rubbed the tarnished silver wedding band on his finger, the light reflecting off a spot a moment later.

"Oh no," his younger self said quietly. "I married . . ."

"It's not the death sentence you're making it out to be," Severus snapped with a dark glare.

"No, but . . . I love _her_," his younger self pleaded, the whining entering his voice again. "I don't understand. How could I marry after losing the one woman I love? The one woman who mattered?"

"Obviously you move on," he replied with a deep frown.

"But this is Lily we're talking about! What—I don't—how could I have moved on after losing her? After being the reason she died? The moment I heard that he was going to go after her, I switched sides. I've tried to—I wrote her once, you know? Told her how sorry I was and that I hoped she was all right. I-I-It doesn't make sense."

Severus sighed heavily. "It will."

"No. I mean, this letter," his younger self said, motioning to the envelope he held in his hands. "You said it'll make me realize that I don't love her like I think I do. How? What could she have possibly said in it that would make me move on from her now?"

Severus bit back his instinctive reply. He couldn't answer that for his younger self. The twenty-one-year-old would have to find that out for himself. He drew in a slow breath and then answered.

"Read the letter. It'll be obvious then."

"How?"

"Just read it."

"But you know the answer. I don't understand. Any of this."

"You will." Severus watched his younger self stare at him helplessly. He couldn't give all the answers. There were things he knew that was better for the younger man to find out on his own.

"Answer me something. Please?"

"I'll try," he replied.

"What are you going to do now? You brought the boy to me and practically dropped him off in my lap. So what now? You happily live your life while I'm saddled with even more responsibility that I didn't want to begin with."

"Hardly," he drawled.

"Then what? What am I missing?"

He stared at his younger self before he bit back a sigh. He truly had expected this reaction, but now that the moment was there he wasn't certain what to say exactly. If he told about the Horcruxes, it could destabilize the timeline completely. There was a reason after all why time travel was frowned upon. However, he knew that his younger self wouldn't just let him go without answering. He flicked back his long locks and glanced at his younger self. Perhaps a half-truth would satisfy his past self.

"There are items that are scattered about that ensure the Dark Lord's return."

"Items? What sorts of items?"

"Dark items, and I'd appreciate it if we left it at that," Severus quietly said.

"So, you're going to search for these items?" Severus nodded. "Oh." His younger self then glanced nervously at the toddler. "Then you'll return for the brat?"

In all his months of planning for this exact moment, Severus had never considered his endgame. He frowned inwardly. Just what would he do after he succeeded? His eyes darted down to the child sitting on his lap. This wasn't just a second chance for Severus. It was one for Harry as well.

"This child in my arms," Severus started quietly. "You may think of him as a brat now, but one day, I promise you, you will wake up and see him as the precious child he is." He sighed when he heard his younger self's tongue click in disgust. "If that's not the case, then surely I don't need to remind you that you could always give him to another _loving_ family, perhaps ones like Petunia's. Or better yet, the boy could be raised by a Muggle who'd likely attempt to beat the unnaturalness out of him." He watched the anger immediately flood his younger self's face, knowing that he had struck just the right nerve. With a raised eyebrow, he waited for his younger self to argue, but the twenty-one-year-old remained silent thankfully. After all, there wasn't much one could argue considering.

"I take it then that you know the locations of all these dark objects?"

Severus shook his head, setting little Harry down on the sofa beside him. "Only where they'll be in the future." He could see the wheels turning in his younger self's head and knew he needed to end this conversation soon for both their sakes. "Take the sabbatical and raise the boy as your own. I'll take care of the rest." With no notice of his intent, he Disapparated then, leaving young Harry and Snape all alone.


	4. Making Waves

**A/N:** I admit that the science involved in this chapter isn't possible in the real world, but in my defense it is called creative writing. :) Enjoy the long chapter.

**Making Waves**

As soon as his future self had Disapparated and left him alone with the toddler, the young man felt himself start to panic. How the hell was he supposed to care for a fifteen-month-old? He had never been around toddlers before, so he hadn't a clue what to do next. Should he feed it to prevent the brat from wailing like a banshee? Then came the question of what to feed it. Did a one-year-old still require its mother's milk or was it able to eat solid foods? He nervously glanced at the brat on his sofa. Swallowing slowly a moment later, he winced at his stupidity at the sight of the teeth peeking through the angry red gums. Solid food it was.

Honestly. This was truly a disaster in the making. How dare his future self leave the brat with him all alone!

When Snape noticed the toddler scooting closer to the edge of the sofa, he felt his heart start to race. It wasn't even going to be a minute before he killed the brat. He could see it now. Stooping forward at a quick pace, he scooped the child up from the edge and held him tightly against his chest. A moment later, he regretted this action immensely.

Horrendous cries tore from the toddler and filled the room. It reminded Snape of the sound of a wounded animal dying. He suppressed the urge to shudder at that thought. He'd had enough of death and somber thoughts for one day.

"Hush, brat," he scolded, sneering down at the wailing child in his arms. "You're fine." However, the child only cried louder. "That's enough," he growled, hoping that fear would quiet the toddler down like it did with the older brats he taught. It didn't, of course. In fact, the child's piercing cries went even higher. "Enough! Or I'll give you a reason to cry, you stupid brat!"

As the toddler's piercing cries increased with each passing moment, so did Snape's frustration. All he wanted was one moment of peace and quiet while he planned out his next course of action. Was that too much to ask for? He didn't think so. Yet there he was, holding the banshee from hell in his arms.

Completely at his wit's end now, he contemplated dumping the child off at the nearest orphanage. Surely they were better equipped than he was to handle the brat. However, all it took was one look before those thoughts quickly evaporated. He had her eyes. The damn brat had _her_ eyes.

"Hush," Snape whispered a moment later, all traces of anger long since evaporated. Cradling the boy closer to him then, he ran a gentle hand down the boy's back as he had seen his older self do earlier. This small child in his arms was the last connection he had to his beautiful Lily. How could he ever want to give that up? With his mind having returned to his earlier conversation with his future self, he sighed quietly before he spoke again. "You're safe now." Safer than the boy would have been if he had been forced to live with the Dursleys for certain, he thought quietly to himself.

He had met Vernon Dursley only once, and that was one time too many in his opinion. It had occurred during the summer after he and Lily had left Hogwarts for their final time. The beefy snob had been invited to Lily's parents' vow renewal ceremony, which Snape had been forced to attend as well thanks to his mother being such good friends with the Evans family.

Throughout the entire event, Petunia and Dursley made snide remarks about how Snape and his mother had only been invited because Lily's parents pitied them. As if Snape hadn't heard that all his life. However, the thing that stuck out the most in his mind about Dursley, out of all the unpleasantness that followed the fat bastard, was the moment he walked in on Dursley backhanding Petunia behind the Evans's house. While he'd admit that he was gleeful about that horrible cow finally getting her comeuppance at the time, he later regretted that thought. No one deserved that.

"Dada?" a soft voice hesitantly said, drawing him out of his thoughts instantly.

Snape froze. Dada? He swallowed before he glanced down at the small child in his arms. He hadn't even noticed that the boy had stopped crying until then. His heart ached once more as those beautiful green eyes stared up at him. Snape was at a loss what to do next. Clearly the boy expected something from him, but he didn't know what. Swallowing back his guilt, he drew in a slow breath.

"Yes?" he whispered, knowing he had just sentenced himself to hell for it. He inhaled sharply when the boy nuzzled further into his chest a moment later. Breathing shakily, he cleared his throat. "You certainly tug on the heart strings, don't you, brat?" However, he soon noticed that the young child was already fast asleep. Snape breathed a sigh of relief. Now maybe he could think of his next action.

* * *

An hour later, Snape emerged from his bedroom, now dressed in his formidable black robes and a plan in mind. He glanced sideways towards the sleeping infant that was on his sofa. His fingers curled around the black wand that was in his deep robe pocket. It truly would be easier this way, he decided. As the gentle light from his spell enveloped the sleeping child, he glanced away guiltily, his hand uncurling from his wand soon after. Now there would be no more unfortunate interruptions.

Stooping down once again, he picked the toddler up and cradled him against his chest. He then murmured a soft spell, feeling the long airy black material of his robes surround the sleeping toddler and make a wraparound sling. Turning away, he headed for the door, only to stop a second later. Using the door to leave Hogwarts was clearly out on second thought. There were too many chances of being sighted leaving that way. He then glanced towards his fireplace. Would Albus be watching the Floo tonight, he wondered. The resounding answer of 'yes' echoed in his mind. The old man would likely be watching the Floo like a hawk just to see what Snape would do tonight after learning of . . . the deaths. He sighed, though, and glanced down at the small child a moment later. He would have to risk it.

After freezing the flames in the fireplace, he grabbed a bit of Floo powder from the opened jar on the mantelpiece and tossed the glittering powder into the flames. He cradled the young toddler closer to him, even though that wasn't truly necessary since the spell kept the child secure in the sling, as he calmly walked into the now emerald flames.

"St. Mungo's," he called out loudly before he vanished into the immense Floo Network.

Not long after, Snape gracefully stepped out of St. Mungo's fireplace in a whirl of black robes. He briefly glanced around the deserted lobby and caught his reflection in a nearby mirror. His hood had come up somehow during his journey and now masked his identity, and the loose material of his black robes had covered the young child as well. His lips upturned slightly at this realization. That would make things easier for him as well. Perhaps his luck would be changing from now on.

Snape then turned and headed for the nearest corridor. Since it was so late at night, St. Mungo's was mostly empty. So, he found navigating the deserted corridors and avoiding the few workers at the hospital to be a breeze. Sticking to the shadows, he made his way to the third floor where he knew she'd be working tonight.

Several minutes passed before he finally reached the room at the end of the third floor. He drew in an anxious breath as he slowly approached the opened doorway, still partially obscured in the shadows. Perhaps on second thought this was a horrible idea. He glanced in nonetheless and found her standing with her back to him facing a shelf full of potions that she appeared to be cataloging. He stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind him.

"Narcissa?" he softly said a second later, his insides knotting horribly. This had to work. He didn't know what else to do.

"Severus!" the blonde witch cried, whirling around with a surprised look on her beautiful face. Her eyes then passed over him quickly before her brows furrowed. "What is it? Is Lucius all right?"

"I would not know, but I require your assistance with another matter tonight."

"Oh?"

He sighed before he pulled back the long material that covered the young sleeping toddler.

"A child?" she whispered before she glanced back at him with wide eyes.

"I . . . I have been tasked to watch over him, but I fear . . ." His voice trailed off momentarily. "I fear I haven't a clue what to do next." He watched the smile quickly spread across her face.

"Of course." She held her arms out.

Snape instinctively held the boy closer to him before he hesitantly removed his spell and handed the toddler over. He watched her cradle the one-year-old against her affectionately soon after.

"Oh, he's so sweet, Severus," she commented as she ran a finger against the boy's cheek. "I take it that He wants the usual then?"

"The usual?" Snape replied with a blink of surprise.

Narcissa smiled painfully. "I'm afraid you're not the first one that He's sent a child to visit me." She then gently rocked the toddler in her arms. "Typically, His orders are for me to fool the Aurors so that they would never discover the child's true identity. Is that His request this time?"

Snape stared at her, unable to speak. There had been other children taken by his future self?

"Or is it something else this time, Severus?"

He swallowed a moment later and glanced at the ground.

"I see," she said quietly. Her hand then gently rested on his arm. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked, his eyes gazing back at her.

"For saving this child." She exhaled softly and shook her head before she pressed a soft kiss to the boy's forehead. "I know of the orders you're expected to follow sometimes. Lucius has spoken about them after difficult nights." She then glanced back at him, holding his eyes. "I'm glad you didn't follow His orders this time. Children are precious things. We should value them, not kill them."

His breathing slowed next to nothing as he realized what she was saying. She had believed that he had disobeyed the Dark Lord and had saved a child marked for death. He stared at her, unable to speak again. He couldn't lie to her, but he couldn't tell her the truth either. However, as he tried to regain his composure, her earlier words swam in his mind. _Fool the Aurors so that they would never discover the child's true identity._

"Narcissa?" he breathed, his heart beating faster now.

"Yes?"

"How do you fool the Aurors?"

She remained quiet for a few moments, likely figuring out how to word her answer tactfully he assumed. She drew in a deliberate clipped breath before she spoke. "When Aurors attempt to prove paternity, they take a sample of the child's blood and test it against the supposed father's. However, if you transfuse another man's blood with the child's and alter the specific material a child receives from his biological father and match it to the other man's, the Aurors' paternity test would believe that the other man is the father instead of the actual father." She smiled slightly more then. "It's a trick my mentor showed me actually. Something she learned from the Muggles, I believe."

He frowned as he realized that she was talking about genetic manipulation. Considering they were still living with what would be antiquated technology in the Muggle world, the concept of genetic manipulation would have been centuries away from implementation in the Wizarding world. But if Narcissa was right and some healer had learned it in the Muggle world and had adapted it to theirs—he couldn't imagine the ramifications.

"It wouldn't hurt him, Severus. I assure you," Narcissa stated quietly. She gently whispered in the toddler's ear then before she glanced back at him. "You'd be a good father for him, I'd imagine."

Snape quickly looked away, feeling a pang in his chest again. Him, a father? It was utter madness. At the sound of a slight gurgle a moment later, he turned his attention back to Narcissa and the child. Once more, his black found Lily's green eyes.

"See? Even he likes the idea," she teased with a soft laugh, motioning towards the smiling toddler in her arms.

Snape winced guiltily. "You woke him." He tried but failed to keep the dread out of his voice.

"Of course I did." Narcissa then fixed him with a hard look. "While you're hardly the first to do it when faced with a child suddenly, it's not proper of you to spell him asleep, Severus."

"How else was I supposed to calm him enough to sneak him in here?"

"You could have always sent me a message," she pointed out. "I would have come."

He scoffed in efforts to cover his instinctive wince at his own stupidity. "Oh yes, and then Lucius would wonder later why I called you away from work instead of coming directly to you." He then forced an uncomfortable smile to his face. "I'd much rather not be the reason for any marital issues you have."

She laughed warmly, though. "I assure you, Severus, Lucius does not turn jealous that easily. Surely a man of your intellect could assume if that were the case, then I would no longer be employed here since I work quite closely with numerous men on a daily basis."

He merely inclined his head a moment later and did his best to ignore the unintentional sting of her words. Lucius may not have turned jealous that easily, but Snape surely did. He truly didn't know how Lucius could manage not keeping her locked away for only his eyes to see.

"I suppose if you'd rather, though, I could contact an orphanage and place the boy there," Narcissa said suddenly after the deafening silence had went on for several minutes.

"No!" Snape yelled out, nearly snatching the young child from her instinctively. He caught her knowing smile immediately and sighed. She always knew how to play him just right. He supposed, however, that was part of the appeal for Lucius. Someone to match wits with the blonde wizard.

"You came here to ask me for help," she pointed out.

"I did," he agreed reluctantly.

"So, why not be a father to him?"

"Because blood doesn't make a father, Narcissa," he replied bitterly, briefly recalling a childhood memory.

"You're right. It does not. However, think of what you've done, Severus. You've taken this boy from his parents. Granted, they are likely dead now, but the fact still remains that the boy may still have family of some kind. Family that the Aurors would grant custody to. And then we both know what would happen. The Dark Lord would learn of your disobedience and punish you as a result."

He stared at her, feeling his insides knot once more.

"So, the question you have to ask yourself is this, 'Do I want to risk the Dark Lord learning of my disobedience?"

"It's not so simple."

"But it is. If you give the child up, then you will never know if your sacrifice was in vain or not. You will never know until that moment before you are brought in before the Dark Lord if He knows what you did. It will hang over you like a dark cloud. Every day you'll have to look over your shoulder and struggle with that little voice of doubt."

He swallowed. He knew that voice all too well nowadays.

"Or you can raise the child as your own flesh and blood," Narcissa stated.

"Perhaps you've forgotten that I reside at Hogwarts. I—"

"Could easily learn that a random tryst you had with some courtesan from Hogsmeade or London had resulted in a pregnancy. You'd hardly be the first man in that castle to have that occur," she drawled. When he didn't say anything, her smile widened. "So, what say you, Severus? Shall I call the orphanage or are you ready to become a father?"

With his eyes downcast since he didn't have the heart to look at Narcissa and the child, he sighed. A random tryst? That was the excuse he'd give for suddenly gaining a child? He supposed it could work. If only one didn't take into the fact that he hadn't had so much of a tryst in his life. Would it be plausible? He considered that for a moment. Most would believe it certainly. However, the bigger question remained if his two puppet masters would believe such a story.

Snape thought for another moment on this. The Dark Lord had always told him that there would be another, one worthier of his attentions than Lily. So, that led to the answer of yes. However, he knew that he would then be forced, if Dumbledore and his future self were right and the Dark Lord would return, to perform certain undesirable acts in the future.

Then there was Dumbledore, the old man who looked like the kind gentle grandfather everyone knew and loved, but who really was just another type of sick monster like the Dark Lord. Would Dumbledore believe the story? Snape closed his eyes soon after. The old man would certainly be suspicious, especially if he had been watching the Floo tonight and noticed the second signature with him. Dumbledore would likely even step up his random probing of Snape's mind afterwards just to learn the truth. However, with all the practice the young wizard had received lately from masking his true thoughts and memories from Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, he was now able to sense when someone was trying to probe his mind and could quickly misdirect them instead. So, he could perhaps convince Dumbledore through a series of planned misdirects. It could work, he supposed.

He glanced towards the young boy, finding Lily's eyes staring at him curiously again. His future self had given the boy to him so the child would have a better life this time. That led to the idea that his future self was fairly confident that he could care for a child. Somehow. He sighed again as time continued to stretch on slowly.

He could not move past the word 'father.' It was beyond absurd. Him, father to Lily's son? Utter madness. And yet, a part of him secretly found that idea oddly appealing. After all, had he not lost his temper that day by the lake during their fifth year, he believed that the boy would have truly been his. That she would have continued to resist Potter's attempts and been with only him, Snape, instead.

"Severus?" Narcissa said, cutting in through his thoughts once more.

All it took was a simple 'yes' and then all would be semi-right with the world again. He still wouldn't have his beautiful Lily, but at least her son would have a better life than he ever would have had with the Dursleys. He could teach himself how to be a father, to have the necessary patience required for such a task. He could do this. He could tell the boy all about his mother, how wonderful and kind she was. Hell, with time, he was certain that he could learn to love the child as his own.

But then there was the fact that he'd be removing all of James from the boy. Lily, unfortunately, had made her choice in the end, and it hadn't been Snape. Would she be upset about his selfishly replacing James with himself? He winced inwardly, knowing that answer.

"Severus?" Narcissa repeated, this time her hand resting on his arm.

"It won't harm him?" he asked quietly, feeling slightly sick to his stomach as he contemplated it.

"He might feel perhaps a bit of a sting at first, but that is all."

"The Aurors would never know?"

"Not unless they did further testing in the Muggle world," she answered honestly. "But even then, they would still need something to test against."

He nodded slowly. "And if they used spells to determine paternity?"

"The spell would recognize you, Severus. Just as it would if potions were used to determine it."

His eyes slowly wandered back to the boy. "This . . . alteration that you'd be doing, would it affect his physical features?" Merlin help him if the boy's green eyes changed from Lily's to his.

"Well, he's still young enough where that could happen. He is, after all, a growing boy. I admit, though, that I'm not as good as my mentor is at manipulating specific areas. So, it'd be more of a blending instead of a full replacement."

A blend of him and James Potter? He shook his head and frowned. It would be one way where he could learn to live with himself for doing this, he supposed.

He exhaled loudly with his mind made up now. "What do you need from me, Narcissa?"

She smiled warmly and motioned towards a nearby chair. "Sit." She then handed the small boy to him before she headed towards a silver cabinet and opened a drawer.

He watched her remove a tray of medical instruments and then return to him. His stomach lurched when he saw the syringe. Muggle medicine was something he disliked immensely like the rest of the Wizarding world. He made a face as she wrapped a tourniquet around his forearm near his wrist.

"Relax for me," she instructed, grabbing the young toddler from him.

"I take it that if magic could be used, that it would be?" he commented dryly.

"It would," she agreed, nodding slowly. "However, in this case, I need to transfuse your blood with his, and it is much faster to do a direct transfusion."

His frown deepened. However, she had already turned away from him and set the child on a nearby counter.

"I'll speed the process up as soon as I have the lines in your artery and in his vein, of course," she explained a moment later, as she quickly poked the tiny needle into the toddler's arm.

At the sound of no crying from the small child, Snape's eyes narrowed on her as she moved to him. How had she done that? He had been convinced that the banshee from hell would have made a reappearance after such a thing. He caught her soft responding laugh instantly.

"I never said that I couldn't numb the area beforehand, Severus."

He then felt a gentle tingle in his wrist before she slid a needle into him. He could feel the pressure from it, but there was no pain thankfully. At the sight of his blood rapidly filling the clear tube and heading towards the small child, he glanced away and looked at the shelf full of potions. However, the sound of paper flapping in the air caused him to turn back. His brows furrowed when a piece of parchment floated down into Narcissa's outstretched hand.

"The birth certificate," she explained when she caught his confused look.

"Oh." He nodded sharply and then glanced away again. That made sense. Most parents, after all, had a copy of their child's birth certificate somewhere. He'd certainly need it if the Aurors came by.

"Do you have a name in mind for him?"

He blinked and slowly turned back. A name? He then thought for a moment. What was the child's name anyway? He knew there had been a birth announcement for the child in _Daily Prophet_. He had seen it after returning from a raid one night pinned to the top of the Dark Lord's board with a large circle around it. But Snape hadn't paid attention to the name, only the birthdate and Lily's name. The moment he had seen that the child was born at the end of July, he had grown very nervous. It had been that night when he had begged the Dark Lord on his knees to spare Lily for him.

He swallowed back his emotions as they once again bubbled up inside him. However, his mind didn't listen. A memory quickly flashed behind his eyes, taking control of him.

_Dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and overly large shirt, the teenage Snape lay beneath a large willow tree next to Lily, who was staring up at the sky with a sad smile. The two friends would point every now and then and comment on a cloud's appearance before they'd giggle and laugh loudly._

"_Sev?" Lily said in her usual gentle voice, surrounding the young boy in warmth instantly._

"_Yeah?" He turned his head slightly to glance at her._

"_Thank you for bringing me out here today."_

_He only nodded and looked back up at the clouds._

"_Do you think Grandpa Harrison is looking down on us now?" she asked quietly._

_The young boy shrugged slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. "I suppose." He then lowered his voice and murmured, "If you believe in that sort of thing."_

_She was quiet for a while then, which made him nervous and worry that he had said the wrong thing. He peeked through his long hair at her and bit his bottom lip._

"_Lily?" he whispered, his insides knotting horribly. He slowly rolled over when still she didn't say anything. When she launched herself towards him a moment later, he coughed and stiffened._

"_I miss him, Sev," she cried, burying her head into his neck as she hugged him fiercely._

_He swallowed again, feeling even more uncomfortable. "I know," he replied hoarsely, hesitantly returning her hug. "Maybe he could tell me about him. Your grandfather, I mean?"_

_Her face brightened before she told her best friend all sorts of stories about her late grandpa._

Pulling himself out of his memory, he blinked and drew in a slow breath. He met Narcissa's eyes, knowing that the witch had likely repeated herself while he had been lost in the past.

"Harrison," he said roughly, his throat oddly having run dry. "Harrison Avery Snape."

"It's a beautiful name, Severus. I take it he's not named after our mutual Avery, though?"

"He's not." Snape left it at that. He then drew in a sharp breath as Narcissa removed the tube from his wrist a moment later. He winced at the sight of blood gushing out of him not long after before she murmured a healing charm and sealed the wound. He wordlessly took the offered Blood Replenishing potion from her and drank it, feeling slightly less queasy and lightheaded not long after.

She silently drew her wand and murmured another spell. The tip of her wand turned blue briefly before she moved it gradually over the toddler. A soft hum filled the room as she worked on the child.

Unable to wait any longer, Snape cleared his throat and spoke. "I take it we won't be here all night, correct?" He noticed her sharp look directed at him and merely raised an eyebrow in reply.

"Why? Do you have more pressing matters than this to attend to?" Narcissa replied harshly.

"No, but it is nearly three in the morning," he stated with a frown. When she laughed soon after, he felt a surge of annoyance. "What?"

"Far be it from me to inform you of this now, but young children rarely care about the time. So you better get used to late nights, Severus, because you'll be having a lot of them from now on."

"It's not the fact that it's late that is bothersome," he grumbled, glancing around the room suspiciously. At any moment someone could walk in and see him with the boy, and then it'd be all over.

"We're alone," Narcissa reiterated once she realized what he was worried about.

"For now," he remarked quietly.

Several minutes passed by before she once again pocketed her wand and stood up straight. She gently handed the young child over to Snape and gave him a quick look. "It's finished." She then grabbed a quill, dipped it into the inkwell, and completed the birth certificate.

He watched her write 'Harrison Avery Snape' with a flourish before she paused at the line that asked for the date of birth. He felt the pit in his stomach grow exponentially. There was no way he could leave the boy's birthdate be July 31. The boy would then be thrust back into that ridiculous prophecy crap and hunted like an animal for the rest of his life. No, that would have to change as well. A part of him wanted to tell her to change it to January 30, but that was seven months difference.

"June 30," Snape finally said several minutes later. He watched her add that date and then closed his eyes. The boy was now safer than he had been just two seconds ago. When he heard Narcissa snap her fingers a moment later, he reopened his eyes and watched a large barn owl fly in through the opened window. As the owl rested on the desk, Narcissa quickly signed the document and made a copy. With a soft smile, she later ripped sections of the original followed by burning the edges to give it a more frayed and aged look. Once she was satisfied with her work, she rolled the original up, wrote a quick note, and attached both gently to the owl's leg with a thin piece of twine.

"Ministry of Magic," she calmly instructed before she pointed towards the opened window. Without another word, the barn owl took flight and flew towards its destination. "There we are." She then turned towards Snape. "It'll be filed first thing in the morning if I know my Ministry contact at all."

"There won't be any problems?"

"No." She shrugged. "I explained that it unfortunately had been lost due to the incompetence of a new staff member last year and that we just recently found it and need it filed as soon as possible. All things that are entirely plausible around here unfortunately." She then smiled warmly at him again. "Welcome to fatherhood, Severus."

He returned a thin smile and glanced down at the little boy in his arms. He gulped when his eyes met Lily's again. What had he just gotten himself into this time?

"There's no reason to be alarmed. I'll give you the abridged version of good parenting before I send you on your way. I promise." She gained his full attention then as he listened very closely for the next fifteen minutes, doing his best to commit all the info to memory for later use.

However, the moment he heard a knock at the door, everything he had just learned went straight out the window and nervousness took over again. He held the small boy closer against him in a protective manner, noticing Narcissa's amused smile instantly as she turned to the opening door.

A curly blond haired witch in lime green robes, a healer he realized quickly, walked into the room not long after. The woman's icy blue eyes briefly passed over him and the toddler in a cold manner before she sharply turned her head away from them.

"I apologize for interrupting, Narcissa," the witch stated indifferently. "However, I require your presence downstairs." The woman then forced a thin curt smile. "So, if you're quite finished here, perhaps you could assist me with the numerous casualties that will be arriving shortly. Unless you'd rather continue your _quaint_ little chat with one another?" she said tersely.

"No, Syra. We're finished here," Narcissa replied respectfully. "I was merely casting a Paternal Charm on this young man's child for him."

Snape watched the woman's eyebrow raise slightly before she glanced at him.

"Oh?" Syra then sharply laughed before she looked away. "And? Were you successful?"

"I think so," Narcissa answered, feigning unsureness.

Syra sighed quietly. "What color did the haze turn?"

"A bit pink, I suppose," Narcissa easily lied.

"Oh goodness gracious!" the older woman exclaimed in clear exasperation. She then drew her own wand and pointed it at the toddler. With a flick of her wand, she cast her spell and a gentle haze surrounded him and the boy. When a green haze settled around both, she ended her spell instantly and slipped her wand back under her sleeve. "Congratulations. You're yet another young person who has thrown his life away just for five minutes of bliss between the sheets," she stated bluntly before she whirled around. "You have five minutes, Narcissa. Not one more." The older witch then promptly left.

"I apologize for her," Narcissa said with a sigh. "She—well, she is much rather used to long nights in a lab, I'm afraid, than dealing with people."

He nodded somewhat, knowing that he was the same way unfortunately.

"I should get going. If you require anything else, though, please don't hesitate to owl me, Severus. I'd be more than happy to help."

"Of course," he replied, inclining his head politely towards her.

As she turned to head towards the door, he realized that he couldn't allow her to leave just like that. Not with her knowing that he had a child that didn't truly belong to him. If it was all true and the Dark Lord had truly been defeated tonight, the Aurors would quickly start to round up all the suspected Death Eaters and their known associates and interrogate them. He couldn't run the risk of losing the boy now. Not after losing Lily tonight.

With Harrison resting on the counter beside him, Snape stood and silently moved behind her. His fingers curled around his wand as he cast a nonverbal spell towards her. As soon as her knees buckled and she pitched towards the floor, he stepped up and grabbed her from behind. She was limp now in his arms, her head lulled to the side. Gently, he placed her upright against a nearby wall.

"_Obliviate,_" he murmured, removing all trace of the past few hours from her mind. Once he was satisfied that she wouldn't be able to recall or have anyone able to recover said memories and thoughts, he cast another spell, an Unforgivable this time. "_Imperio,"_ he mouthed before he spoke firmly. "You will go downstairs and assist Syra, acting as if nothing happened once I end this spell. You will smile but ignore any mention of a man and child in your office tonight. You will not be curious and attempt to figure out who it was because you will not care. Is this understood?"

"Yes," Narcissa replied blankly, her eyes unfocused.

He then ended his spell and quickly scooped up young Harrison before he silently Disapparated both of them far from St. Mungo's. The two reappeared on the outskirts of a large town a moment later. Snape drew in a sharp breath, his lungs filling with the familiar dirty air instantly. While it was hardly ideal in his mind, this was the only other place he could go now, since Narcissa would be unable to help with the boy when he needed it.

As he continued towards the small cottage up ahead, he found himself dreading his current actions even more. How could he even consider coming here? He quickly pushed those thoughts away, though, and walked up the dirt path towards the front door. There was a light on inside, he noted dryly as he continued. There went the idea of nobody being home. Drawing in a slow breath then in order to calm himself, he raised his free hand and knocked against the battered black door. Here went nothing.


End file.
